Just Watched

Mexican singer's plane missing

His ministry issued a statement saying authorities were working to access the site by land in order to confirm exactly what's there.

Alejandro Argudin, director general of Civil Aviation, said he believes no one on board survived the crash. "The aircraft was destroyed, totally fragmented," he told CNN affiliate Televisa.

Born in Long Beach, California, to Mexican immigrant parents, Rivera, 43, released her debut album in 1999, according to her website. She sings traditional Mexican ballads, and was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award in 2002 in the category of "Best Banda Album."

In October, People en Espanol named Rivera to its list of the 25 most powerful women.

Famous for her music, she is also known for her tumultuous personal life. The singer was a single mom at the age of 15 and is the mother of five, her website said.

The private LearJet took off from Monterrey at 3:15 a.m. and lost contact with air traffic controllers about 60 miles away, according to a statement from the transportation ministry. The singer had a concert in the northern Mexican city Saturday night.

Two helicopters assisted in the search for the plane, which had as its destination the airport in Toluca, near Mexico City. The cause of the suspected crash was not immediately clear, and the ministry has opened an investigation.